Vigilante Group says they rescued CBN Governor's Wife, Not Policemen or Soldiers

There is a new twist to the rescue of Mrs. Margaret Emefiele from the hands of armed kidnappers in Edo following the credit solely taken by police and military officers.

According to The Nation, members of the Vigilante Group in Emuhun Community in Uhunmwode local government have accused the Nigeria Police and Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele of abandoning one of their colleague who was killed during the rescue of Emefiele’s wife, Margaret, from kidnappers den.

The vigilante group said they were responsible for the rescue of Margaret and not the Police or the Nigerian Army. They claimed that they shot and held two of the suspected kidnappers whose confessions led to the arrest of five others.

Speaking at a news conference in Benin City, Secretary of Emuhun Community, Deacon Samson Osagie, gave the name of the slain vigilante member as Gabriel Okorare aged 64.

Deacon Osagie said the late Gabriel joined other vigilante members to mobilise into the bush to apprehend the kidnappers after the police from Okhuaihe Police Division called on them for emergency help.

Osagie said the police described the kidnapping of Emefiele’s wife as an embarrassment to the state police command and Nigeria in general. He stated that Gabriel was shot dead in the rescue attempt and his cross was recovered by the police who deposited it at the Abudu Hospital Mortuary.

His words, “It may interest Nigerians to know that late Gabriel was the bread winner of his family and left behind two wives and 11 children.

“Since Gabriel’s death, feeding of the family has been a major challenge particularly at this harsh economic recession in the country. A situation that has forced his children out of school.”

Osagie further said the State Commissioner of Police, Haliru Gwand, promised to convey the matter to appropriate authorities but failed to pay a condolence visit to the late Vigilante family.

One of the Vigilante who said he was in the forest with late Gabriel when he was killed, Wilson Igbinosun, said they knew the kidnappers were in the area because women returning from the farm claimed they were harassed.